Rebar attachment device and system

ABSTRACT

A rebar attachment device includes a vertical attachment device having a base member that includes a bottom surface for making contact with a piling, and a top surface for positioning a sleeve and a pair of flexible chairs. Each of the chairs acts to removably engage and position a rebar rod at a predetermined separation distance from the base member. A rebar attachment system includes at least one vertical rebar attachment device, at least one horizontal rebar attachment device, a tether for positioning the at least one vertical device onto a piling, and a tether connector for securing the tether to the piling.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/453,583 filed on 17 Mar., 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to concrete piling rehabilitation, and more particularly to a device system and method for securing rebar to damaged pilings.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Concrete pilings are traditionally utilized in industrial, bridge and marine construction projects. Concrete pilings are utilized due to their strength, corrosion resistance and ability to withstand long term exposure to adverse elements. However, these pilings are known to deteriorate over time due to factors such as marine life, extreme weather conditions, and from collisions with boats and other such vehicles, for example. When the damage to the piling is such that it can be repaired, as opposed to replaced, it becomes necessary to reinforce the outer surface of the pile with new concrete having an internal rebar frame for support.

To this end, rods of rebar must be secured to the exterior of the damaged piles at precise locations. After the rebar has been installed, a form/mold can be used to pour fresh concrete over both the rebar and the damaged section of the piling. Once the concrete cures, the mold is removed, and the rebar which is now embedded within the cured concrete acts to provide additional strength to the piling.

Although there are known devices for installing rebar onto a piling, the present invention is directed to a device system and method for securing the rebar to the piling in a novel manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a rebar attachment device for securing rebar rods to a piling. One embodiment of the present invention can include a base member having a bottom surface for making contact with a piling, and a top surface for positioning a sleeve and a pair of flexible chairs. Each of the chairs can act to removably engage and position a rebar rod at a predetermined separation distance from the base member.

Another embodiment of the present invention can include a device having a curved surface configured to be positioned onto the corner portion of a piling.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention can include a system comprising at least one rebar attachment device, a tether for positioning at least one device onto a piling, and a tether connector for securing the tether to the piling.

This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a vertical rebar attachment device that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts described herein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the vertical rebar attachment device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a horizontal rebar attachment device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4A is a front view of the vertical rebar attachment device in operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4B is a front view of the rebar attachment system in operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the rebar attachment system in operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a vertical rebar attachment device in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the vertical rebar attachment device in operation, in accordance with the alternate embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a rebar attachment device in accordance with another alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the rebar attachment device in operation, in accordance with the other alternate embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.

Although described as for use with a concrete pile, one of skill in the art will recognize that the inventive concepts disclosed herein can be utilized in many different applications and with many different types of structures such as wood or metal, for example. Accordingly, the embodiments described below are not to be construed as limiting in scope or application. For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 4C.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a vertical rebar attachment device 10 that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. As shown, device 10 can include a base member 11 having a central sleeve 12 and a pair of rebar chairs 13 positioned thereon.

The base member 11 can act as the backbone of the device in order to position each rebar chair 13 in a precise location on a concrete pile. To this end, base member 11 can preferably be constructed from a single piece of injection molded plastic having a generally planar front and back surface.

Although described above as including a specific shape and material, one of skill in the art will recognize that the base member 11 can include any number of different shapes and can be constructed from any number of different materials such as metal, for example.

The sleeve 12 can act to allow the device 10 to be secured to a concrete pile via a conventional anchor, a strap or other banding material. To this end, the sleeve 12 will preferably be formed as a part of the base member itself and can include a pair of openings 12 a and 12 b forming on either side of a hollow channel through which the banding can travel.

Although illustrated as being positioned on the top surface of the base member and at a location between the chairs, one of skill in the art will recognize that the sleeve 12 can be positioned anywhere on, or through the base member without deviating from the scope and spirit of the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

The chairs 13 can work in unison to engage a rebar rod for precise positioning onto the exterior of a concrete pile (See FIG. 4) in a vertical orientation. To this end, each chair 13 can include a pair of curved retention shafts 13 a and 13 b, respectively, protruding outward from the base 11. As shown, each of the shafts 13 a and 13 b include a complementary shape for forming a circular or semi-circular area 13 c for receiving and securely positioning rebar rods of various dimensions at a precise separation distance D from the base member.

In one preferred embodiment, each of the chairs 13 can be constructed from a flexible material such as plastic, for example, in order to bend (see arrows a) to allow entry of the rebar rod. Moreover, it is preferred that the distance D be approximately 1″, however other spacing distances are also contemplated.

A plurality of optional openings 14 can be positioned along the base member 11. Each of these openings can extend from the front surface to the back surface in order to allow a concrete screw or other such anchor to secure the rebar attachment device 10 directly to the concrete pile.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a vertical rebar attachment device 10 that further includes a curved base member 11′. In this embodiment, the top surface of the base member 11′ can position a sleeve 12 and chairs 13 as described above. Additionally, the bottom surface of the base member 11′ can be curved to form up to a 90° angle θ for allowing the device to be positioned onto a corner or other such angled surface of a concrete pile (See FIG. 3). Although described above as including a 90° angle, the device 10 may be constructed to adapt to concrete piles having surfaces with different angles.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a horizontal rebar attachment device 20 that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. As shown, device 20 can include a base member 21 having a pair of vertical rebar chairs 23 and a horizontal rebar chair 25 positioned therebetween.

The base member 11 can act as the backbone of the device and can preferably be constructed from a single piece of injection molded plastic having a generally planar front and back surface.

As with the base member 11, one of skill in the art will recognize that the base member 21 can include any number of different shapes and can be constructed from any number of different materials such as metal, for example.

The vertical chairs 23 can be essentially identical to the vertical chairs 13 described above. However, with regard to the horizontal rebar attachment device 20, the vertical chairs 23 act to hang the device 20 from pre-installed rebar rods 40 that are themselves held in place by the vertical chairs 13 described above (See also FIG. 4B)

The horizontal chair 25 can act as a clip for securing additional rebar rods 40′ in a horizontal manner. In one embodiment, the horizontal chair 25 can include essentially a flexible “C” clamp into which the horizontally positioned rebar rod 40′ can be secured.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate one embodiment of a rebar attachment system 100 in operation. As shown in FIG. 4A, a plurality of vertical rebar attachment devices 10 can be secured to a piling 5 via an adjustable length tether 30.

As described herein, the tether 30 can preferably include an elongated strip of polyester pallet banding having at least 1500 psi breaking strength. The tether will include a width suitable for passing through the sleeve 12 of each of the plurality of devices 10 and a length suitable for traversing/encircling each of the outside surfaces (i.e., outer dimension) of the pile 5. Once the tether has been wrapped around the outside of the pile 5, the tether 30 can be cut and tightened by a conventional pallet band wrench (not illustrated) forming ends 30 a and 30 b. Each of these ends can then be secured together utilizing a conventional pallet band clip 35 in accordance with known practices.

Although described above as utilizing a polyester pallet band and conventional band clip and associated hardware, one of skill in the art will recognize that any number of different tethering devices can be utilized to position the vertical rebar attachment devices onto the pile 5. Several non-limiting examples of suitable tethers include industrial strength metallic pallet band, strands of woven plastic, metal wire, and nylon straps, among others. Additionally the clip 35 can include any number of conventional devices capable of securing two objects together in a secure manner. Several examples include adhesive/bonding substances and compression fittings, for example. In either case, by utilizing an adjustable length tether 30, the system can act to position each of the vertical rebar attachment devices 10 to fit the exact dimensions of a pile 5 in the field, without requiring custom factory construction.

As shown in FIG. 4B, once the vertical attachment devices 10 are positioned onto the concrete pile 5 via the tether 30, a plurality of rebar rods 40 can be attached to the chairs 13 in a vertical orientation, in order to be precisely and securely mounted onto the pile 5 at a precise distance D. Once the vertical rods 40 have been positioned, any number of horizontal attachment devices 20 can then be secured to the installed rods 40 via the chairs 23. Once securely attached to the vertical rods, each of the horizontal attachment devices 10 can position a horizontal rebar rod 40′ via horizontal clips 25.

To this end, and as illustrated by FIG. 4C, each of the vertical and horizontal rebar clips 10 and 20, respectively can act to construct a frame consisting of vertical and horizontal rebar rods 40 and 40′ around a damaged section of concrete piling which can then be repaired by utilizing replacement concrete in accordance with known practices.

Although traditional construction practices utilize horizontal rebar rods 40′ having a smaller dimension than the vertical rebar rods 40, it is preferred that both the vertical chairs 23 and the horizontal chair 25 of each horizontal device 20 be capable of securely coupling to rebar rods of varying sizes.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a vertical rebar attachment device that includes an elongated base member 51 having a plurality serially oriented rebar chairs 53 positioned thereon.

The base member 51 can act as the backbone of the device in order to position each rebar chair 53 in a precise location onto a damaged concrete pile 5. To this end, base member 51 can preferably include an elongated plastic shaft having a generally planar front and back surface 51 a and 51 b, respectively. Although described above as including a specific shape and material, one of skill in the art will recognize that the base member 51 can include any number of different shapes and materials suitable for conforming to the outside dimension of a concrete pile.

Each mounting hole 52 can extend from the front surface 51 a to the back surface 51 b and can be configured to receive a concrete screw or other similar anchor, capable of securing the device 50 to the concrete pile.

The plurality of chairs 53 can each act to position a rebar rod 40 in a vertical manner along the exterior of the concrete pile. As shown, each chair 53 can be positioned serially along the front side of the base member 51 a and can include a pair of curved retention shafts 53 a and 53 b, respectively, protruding outward from the base 51. Additionally, each of the shafts 53 a and 53 b include a complementary shape for forming a circular or semi-circular area 53 d for receiving and securely positioning rebar rods of various dimensions at a precise distance from the base member.

In one preferred embodiment, each of the chairs 53 can be constructed from a flexible material such as plastic, for example, in order to bend (see arrows a) to allow entry of the rebar rod. As described herein, each chair 53 can include a size and shape configured to mate with any number of different shaped rebar rods.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the alternate device 50 in operation. As shown, the elongated base member 51 can be cut in the field to a desired length, before being secured to the concrete pile 5 via anchors 1 inserted through the plurality of mounting holes 52. Once mounted, a plurality of rebar rods 40 can be secured to the damaged pile 5. Such a feature can allow a manufacturer to create an elongated strip containing the multiple chairs from a single mold (such as injection molded plastic, for example) which can be cut in the field to serve the particular job at hand, without requiring custom factory construction.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate another embodiment of the alternate vertical rebar attachment device 50 that further includes a plurality of extension units 70 extending outward from the base member 51 in a direction away from the concrete pile. As described herein, an extension unit can include a generally hollow sleeve 71 capable of receiving an elongated tubular rod 72 (i.e. push lock type device). As shown, one end of the rod 72 a can be positioned within the sleeve 71 and the other end of the rod 72 b can be secured to any number of secondary devices ranging from a mesh anode 73 (used for cathodic protection of the concrete via Zinc mesh) to a form spacer 74 among many others.

As described herein, the extension unit 70 can preferably be constructed from plastic and the plurality of secondary devices can be secured to the rod via conventional means such as glue or compression fittings, for example. Alternatively, the outer end of the rod 72 b can be fabricated to include the secondary item (such as the spacer 74, for example) so as to be a single integrated component.

By including an extension unit within the rebar attachment device, it becomes possible to embed conventional secondary items within the newly formed concrete at a precise location and distance from the existing concrete pile.

Accordingly, the rebar attachment device and system described above can allow a user to customize the installation at the location of the damaged pile without the need to rely on prefabricated components, thus saving additional time and expense when compared to conventional methods of repairing damaged pilings.

As described herein, one or more elements of the rebar attachment device can be constructed from known materials ranging from plastic to steel, and can be secured together utilizing any number of known attachment means such as, for example, screws, glue, compression fittings and welds, among others. Moreover, although the above embodiments have been described as including separate individual elements, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are not so limiting. To this end, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individual elements such as the base member 11, sleeve 12 and chair 13 and/or the base member 51, chairs 53 and extension unit 70, for example, may be formed together as one continuous element, either through manufacturing processes, such as welding, casting, or molding, or through the use of a singular piece of material milled or machined with the aforementioned components forming identifiable sections thereof.

Accordingly, in one preferred embodiment, each above described element of the rebar attachment device 10 and 50 can be constructed from a single mold of injected plastic having length suitable for being secured to a concrete pile having a known outer dimension.

As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

1. A vertical rebar attachment device for securing rebar rods to a piling, said device comprising: a base member having a bottom surface configured to make contact with a piling, and a top surface; a sleeve secured to the base member, said sleeve including a pair of diametrically opposed openings and a hollow interior portion forming a channel for receiving a tether; and a pair of flexible chairs secured to the top surface of the base member, each of said chairs being configured to removably engage and position a rebar rod in a vertical orientation and at a predetermined separation distance from the base member.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said chairs comprises: a pair of curved retention shafts having a first end secured to the base member, and a second end protruding outward from the base member, each of said shafts having a complementary shape forming a semicircular area for engaging the rebar rod.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the semicircular area is configured to engage rebar rods of varying dimensions.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said predetermined distance is one inch.
 5. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of openings extending from the top surface of the base member to the bottom surface of the base member, each of said openings being configured to receive a concrete anchor.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the base member includes a curved portion, said curved portion being configured to allow the device to be positioned onto pilings with curved surfaces.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein said curved surface includes a ninety degree bend configured to allow the device to be secured to a corner section of a piling.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said base member, sleeve and chairs are constructed from a single mold of injected plastic.
 9. A horizontal rebar attachment device for securing rebar rods to a piling, said device comprising: a base member having a bottom surface and a top surface; a pair of vertical chairs secured to the top surface of the base member, each of said chairs being configured to removably engage a pre-installed vertical rod; and a horizontal chair configured to removably engage and position another rebar rod in a horizontal orientation.
 10. (canceled)
 10. A rebar attachment system for securing rebar rods to a piling, said system comprising: an elongated tether having a first end, a second end, and a length greater than an outside dimension of the pile; a tether connector configured to secure the first and second ends of the tether together around the pile; a plurality of vertical rebar attachment devices, each of said devices including a base member having a bottom surface configured to make contact with the piling, and a top surface, a sleeve having a pair of diametrically opposed openings and a hollow interior portion forming a channel configured to receive the tether, and a pair of flexible chairs secured to the top surface of the base member, each of said chairs being configured to removably engage and position a rebar rod at a predetermined separation distance from the base member, wherein said tether is further configured to securely position the at least one attachment device to the piling; and a plurality of horizontal rebar attachment devices, each of said devices including a base member having a bottom surface and a top surface, a pair of vertical chairs secured to the top surface, each vertical chair of the horizontal rebar attachment device being configured to removably engage a pre-installed vertical rod, and a horizontal chair configured to removably engage and position another rebar rod in a horizontal orientation.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein each chair of both the vertical and horizontal rebar attachment devices are configured to engage rebar rods of varying dimensions.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein said predetermined distance is one inch.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of said vertical rebar attachment devices includes a curved bottom surface configured to be positioned onto pilings with curved surfaces.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein said curved surface includes a ninety degree bend configured to allow the device to be secured to a corner section of a piling.
 15. The system of claim 10, wherein said tether includes a polyester pallet band having a breaking strength of at least 1500 psi, and configured to be cut to a length approximating the outside dimension of the piling. 16.-20. (canceled)
 21. The device of claim 9, wherein each of the vertical and horizontal chairs are configured to engage rebar rods of varying dimensions. 